Boiler-tube cleaner



pril 24, 1928.

l P. RUCK ET AL BoLER TUBE CLEANER A /NvE/vons Pahr- Rua TTORNEYS j' Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

` UNITED `srmesi PaENFV oFFl-ca PETER BUCK, 'or BROOKLYN, AND MICHAEL sC'njU'riz, CFNEW YCRQN. Y.AssIGNoR,s

' 'ro SAUL LEWIS, yor NEWvYoRK, N. KY.

norman-TUBE.` CLEANER:

Renee for abandoned application" serial No. 548,091, filed March 3o, 11922. This 1927. f serial No.f197,2o7.` y

This application 'is a substitute for application No. 548,091' tiled March 30,' 1922, which became abandoned March 15,1924.

This invention relates to cleaning devices primarily designed for use in cleaning Vtlues, such as boiler tubes. In cleaning certain pipesy and boiler lues it is desirable to draw the material coating the inside of the same to the end. In order to accomplish this it is `necessary to provide some means of smaller diameter than the pipe or flue to be cleaned' which may be projected into the same andv thenexpanded to the kdiameter oli the pipe or flue so that the material coating the pipe or` flue may be drawn to t-he end. 3

The general object of this invention islthe provision of a device having expansible means associated therewith and provided with means for expanding said expansible means so that after the device has beenk projected intoa pipe, flue vor the like, ythe expansible means may be expandedto clean the Walls'of the pipe, fiue or the like as it is with#` drawn from the same.

'This object is accomplished by mounting on the body or handle an expansible head and associating with the body means tor expanding the expansible head and providing meanstor operating said expanding means.

This and other objects of the invention will be more clearly understood frein the following detailed descriptionfand aecompaying drawings. i

Figure 1 is a side elevation' ofthe flue cleaning device;

Figure 2 1sr a section through the .flue cleaning device showing the details ofthe construction;

Figure 3 is an end'elevation oit the flue cleaning device showing` the scraper plates.

Referring to the above-mentioned dra-wings, a body or handle assemblage 10 consisting ot a stock 11 and a handle member 12 joined together by means o1 a tube'13, is shown. The stock 11 has a chamber 1st provided therein and aehannel 15 leading trom the lower endA of the chamber 14 to the tube '13. This channel is of a diameter `equal to the internal diameter 4ot the tube. A notch 18 is cut in the handle member 12 and a channel 16 communicates with the tube 13 and the notch 18. Projecting outward from the handle member is a collar 17 provided application fue@ rune 7,

with an openingextending therethrough parallel to the lengthhof the Y,handle member;

a .handgrip20.` f i i vl\Iou`ntedon the stock 11 is an .expansible head* assemblage'21 which eonsistsbt' a hol` vThe handle member 12'is also provided with Ylow cylindrical base122 `and pa plurality ot'.`

springarms 23 which extend Aappronimately paralleltothe axis ot the cylindrical base. Each-of these arms is provided with an fin` turnedsector shaped portion 245, the `inner` curved tace oteach inturnedportionfbe ing beveled. Attached fto t-he 'endot' each spring arm by meansof screws26 is a scraper plate27. `These seraperfplates 27 are sectorr` shaped and have their outer `edges beveled so as to present a sharp scraping edge. As seen inFigure 1, the arms 23 flare outward slight ly yatgthe ends and the scraperifplates `are bev-` eled so as tov conform withthe Haring ends ot the arms 23.` `IVhen` they arms 23 are in theirknormal positions the scraper plates 27 simulatean annular plate as seen in Figure 3.1L The` hollowf cylindricalk base `22 vis at-` tached to the stock 11 by meansofscrew's 28 and is counter-sunk so .that the contour of the stock and the cylindrical basel is one'continnous surface. y i .f .1 A rod `29 is carried by thev bearing collar 31 which is slidably rmounted 4in ,chamber `1st `of the stock 11. Asolid head 19 having its torwardend() frustui'n shaped is carried by the rod 29.` A spring l34e is mounted on `therod 29and locatedbetwieen the collar 31k and the shoulder 32 :formed atthe junction ofthe i channel 15 and'clia1nbe1.1f1.,This spring- 34 normallyserves to` hold thesolidhead `19 projected forward and in engagement With the inturned portions 24 of thearms 23. A rod 33 is slidably mounted in the channel 16 and the opening in the collar 17. This rod 33 is connected to the rod 29 by means of a connecting rod 35 which engages an internal thread provided in theend of the rod 29 and a buckle 36 attached to the rod 33.

A plate 37 is rigidly attached to the rod 33 and connected to the bell crank lever 38 by means of a link 39. This lever may be operated to give the rod 33 a reciprocating motion. n y

In order to adaptthis flue cleaningdevice tor cleaning iiues of various lengths the eonnecting tube 13 and the connecting rod 35 have been provided, When it is necessary to clean and the lever BS'released. T he Spring4 3i then carries the rod 29 forward, projecting the headv 19 into-engagement with thev inturned portions 2.1i-, forcing them outward, thus increasing the over-all diameter'of the expansibleA head. The over-all diameter of thev head should then be approximately' the diameter of thepipe and as the device is drawn from the pipe or flue the material which is collected on the walls of the same will bey drawn outward.v

lVewould state in conclusion that while the illustratedV examplel constitutes a practical embodiment of our invention we do not limit ourselves strictly totlie exact details herein'illustrated since manifestly the saine can beconsiderably varied without departing from'the spirity off the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Te claim:

V1'. As a new article ofma-nufacture a boiler tube cleaner including'a body, a head comprisingfa cylindrical shell, one end of which is attached to the body, the shell beinglongitudinally slotted from its other end throughout the major portion of its-length to define a plurality of integrally connected spring fingers, the free ends of which are turned inwardly and of general sectoral shape cooperatively defining an annul us ha'ving a relatively small central openingA therein, arcuate scraper plates attached to theinwardly turned ends of the fingers and including scrapingedges extending radially therebeyond', anda springpressed conical spreader normally urged through the central opening to expand the bladecarrying fingers.

2. As a new article of manufacture a boiler tubecleaner including a body, a head comprising a" cylindrical shell, one end ofwhich is att'achedtothel body, the shell being longitudinally slotted from its other end throughout the major portion of its length to define` a plurality of integrally connected spring fingers', the free ends of which are turned inwardly and of general sectoral shape cooperatively defining an annulus having a relatively small'ci-entral opening therein, arcuate scraper plates attached to the inwardly turned ends of the fingers and including scraping. edges extending radially therebeyond, and a spring pressed conical spreader normally urged through the centralopening to expand the blade carrying fingers, the said first mentioned end of the shell defining a sleeve encirclingv a reduced neck at one end of the body at which the aforesaid attachment is made;

3. Asa: new article of manufacture a boiler tub-e cleaner including a body, a head comprising a cylindrical shell, one endv of which is attached to the body, the shell being longitudinally slotted from its other end throughout the major portion of its length to define a plurality of integrally connected spring fingers, the free ends of which are turned inwardly and of general sectoral shape cooperatively defining an annulus having afrelatively small central opening therein. arcuate scraper plates attached to the inwardly turned ends of the fingers and including scraping edges extending radially therebeyond, a spring pressed conical spreadernormally urged through'the central opening to expand the blade carrying fingers, and a rod to which the conical spreader is connected'l guided for sliding movement in the body, and a. spring encircling the rod pocketcd in the body and constituting the means for urging the spreader into engagement with the fingers.

PETER BUCK. MICHAELv SCHUTZ. 

